Skip to main content

tv   News Nation  MSNBC  February 27, 2013 11:00am-12:00pm PST

11:00 am
a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions
11:01 am
or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. hi, everyone. i'm tamron hall. following major news out of the supreme court that could be on the verge of making significant changes to the landmark voting rights act of 1965. conservative judges on the court signalling that parts of the law have outlived its usefulness and
11:02 am
will be struck down. justice scalia said the law represented a perpetuation of racial entitlement and justice kennedy said the marshall plan was very good too. but times change. at issue is a provision in the law that gives the federal government control over changes in voting laws and states with a history of discrimination, predominantly in the south. this provision known as section 5 has been used to block voter id laws in south carolina and texas and cut backs to early voting in florida. the act has been reauthorized four times, most recently in 2006 with an overwhelming majority of votes. it is now in serious trouble. these developments come on the same day as the president unveils a statue of civil rights icon rosa parks at the capital across the street from the supreme court. congressman john lewis who in
11:03 am
1965 was at the head of a bloody sunday march in selma, alabama that helped bring about the voting rights act and gave a passioned speech in defense of the law. >> still forces in this country that will want to go back. we are not going back. we need section five and that's why we are here today standing up for the voting rights of all americans. we must never give up. never give in. never give out. >> pete williams has been there all day. pete, for congressman lewis and others, the conservative justices are missing the point that this is not about registration and turn out and polling places being move and other issues. >> for the justices, the question is when the congress reenacted the law of 2006, did it adjust the formula for covering states enough so that it reflects current reality. it's clear that they are concerned that the law is too
11:04 am
backwards and doesn't take into account changes today. the liberal justices did their best to defend it and kagan said over half of the discrimination lawsuits come from just those covered states even though they have only about a quarter of the population. the justice thinks this is reverse engineering. they asked the solicitor general which state does the worst job at registering and getting turn out of voters. the answer he said is massachusetts. the best is mississippi. the justices are clearly concerned that the coverage area doesn't fit the current reality and so based on that, they are getting the five votes to make a big change either to swipe down section five, the preclearance requirement or another part that determines the formula. let's think about that for a second. think about the rosa parks ceremony. if that's what the court does and strikes down the formula, this goes right back to congress
11:05 am
and the question would be would the congress have the same kind of will and energy it mustered in 1965 to come up with the voting rights act in the first place. that is not for me to answer, but tells you what the stakes are. >> they are covered by section five and municipalities in the states that are also covered here. as i understand it, the judges or justices challenge both sides. that is getting a lot of buzz and both sides were questioned significantly here. >> i think justice scalia's point, he used incendiary language. what he was trying to say is once a political institution likes congress and passes a law like this, it will never have the political will to take it back. he said it would be the role of the courts. that really is the question here. if the supreme court strikes down the voting rights act or at
11:06 am
least this preclearance part of it, is there enough will in congress to sit down again and say okay, let's see. which areas do we leave out now and which parts of the north and the west and other parts of the country that we left out should we include? that is say huge order for congress. a lot of people find it difficult for congress to do that now since you think about the push of history that led to the voting rights act. the marches and the demonstrations and the violence in the south. is there that momentum today? >> thank you very much. let me bring in our political panel. michael smerconish, an msnbc contributor and attorney and josh, i want to start with you. you posted the gop hangover. you mentioned the case being heard today regarding section five. a pair of cases on same-sex marriage and voter id and as you
11:07 am
put it, as if it weren't enough, the justices are expected to issue a major ruling on affirmative action. all of this perhaps affecting gop leadership as they attempt to refocus their party. when you hear justice scalia use the language of racial entitlement and we go back to the 47% remark from mitt romney that turned off so many voters and said people were looking for gifts from the obama administration. this is intriguing with the timing of all of this. >> it sure is. you think about the messagesing that the gop has been trying to put forward. they want to try to keep focused on economic issues and job creation. they like some of these torny or social issues to disappear from the radar. they don't want to promote positions on same-sex marriage. they don't want to talk in
11:08 am
detail about programs like affirmative action. i find it curious that the court is putting these things on the agenda and making it difficult for this don't look at the man behind the curtain approach that they are taking to succeed. you heard john louis where they said changes occurred, but places with a legacy of long standing and state-sponsored discrimination have the most persistent flavor and contemporary records of discrimination in the country. was not referring to your home state of pennsylvania, but we saw before the general election an attempt by republicans and even one caught on camera saying it was an effort to help the republican party in the election here. what do you make of what the supreme court said and the arguments from the other side? >> i think that the best thing that could happen for the republican party is section five would be upheld.
11:09 am
i say that because i don't think any good comes from the republicans in the house. having to deal with this issue. the sound byte from scalia is the sort of thing that may play well with the gop base, but i maintain in the most recent election, independents were turned off by the whole battle over what i perceived to be voter suppression. the republicans may continue to hold that narrow base and might like the things being said in the public domain, but this is a net loser with independents and certainly democrats. >> codirector of the advancement, others have pointed out, this is not about registration and turn out. for them the necessity of section five points to polling places being moved. 2008 in alabama, they redrew boundaries to include three white majority districts in an effort to get the black voters of the citizens there.
11:10 am
their power. what are the examples you feel the supreme court justices, especially conservative ones are not relating or understanding in your opinion. >> section five covers more than registration. it covers redistricting and how we divide the power in this country. you think about it, in 2012, when we saw florida move back and try to cut voting hours during early voting, parts of florida are covered by section five of the voting rights act. we are not talking about old time discrimination. we are talking about what happened in 2011 and 2012. section five really is an important part of the voting rights act because it protects us against discrimination. it protects us before the discrimination actually occurs. >> i would like to play the attorney representing shelby county a short time ago. let's play it. >> we covered the jurisdictions
11:11 am
over the last 48 years. i was 24 years old when we came into section five. i'm 73 last weekend and we are under the same format, none of which a played to us in many, many years. >> that are is buch ellis's point of view. a man with firsthand experience, the brutality of the battle african-americans had to wage to get rights in this country. both of these men at different times, different views of this today. >> that's right. we have those two historical figures and stories. we also have victor, the 102-year-old woman who had to stand in line for three hours because early voting was cut back in florida. this is not -- we have need for the voting rights act. this is not old time discrimination. it's current. we have to make sure all
11:12 am
americans are protect and that the constitution is upheld so that we are all created equal and that promise is fulfilled. >> let's go back to the politics of it. i love the article that we have. another article posted on politico was from a texas state rep trade. he said when so many lawmakers agree on a bill and the president signs it into law and uses his last act in power to uphold that law when challenged, the supreme court has a coequal branch of government should take note. he is pointing to the fact that his rare bipartisanship he has seen for years, should we hear more from republicans perhaps in support of section five? >> you haven't heard much this time around. in the past they have been more supportive and that vote was tremendous. justice scalia used that bipart
11:13 am
anship as a reason why the court needs to get involved. the question really is what republicans want to do on this. it should be said it is not clear that is benefits democrats the at polls. it crams minorities and may help republicans by some say bleaching their districts of minorities. who it benefits at the polling place or the ballot booth is really a matter of dispute. there was no question that the gop seems to have lost enthusiasm for the measure. >> to josh's point, who it benefits is not clear. this is about democrats and african-americans and latinos. to the point of so many, not the case. >> it asks a lot of people to pay close attention and understand section five and the ramifications. what americans do know is that they saw that senior citizen who
11:14 am
was 101 or 102 at the state of the union address. they saw the long lines and the footage from florida and they certainly are aware of all of the debates that took place in the build up to the 2012 cycle about whether an identification card would be necessary. they are going to conplate the two and people will decide which party stands for which. >> a great pleasure having you on as well. thank you all for your time. up next, you are in until you are out. just months ago, "time" magazine called chris christie the boss. fast forward to now and some conservatives are questioning his future in their party from his snub to the backlash over his decision announced yesterday to expand medicare. is chris christie now a gop out cast? a democratic super pac in kentucky under fire for a tweet against mitch mcconnell's wife
11:15 am
former secretary elaine chow. a meeting between president obama and congressional leaders on the same day those budget cuts are to take effect. is this too little too late? join our conversation on twitter. find out as tamron hall. a febreze experiment. to prove febreze can keep this car fresh, we loaded it with fast food, sweaty hockey gear, and a smelly dog cage. and parked it at a mall. in texas. for two days. then put a febreze car vent clip on the dash and let in real people. it smells good. like laundry fresh out of like the dryer. yeah. a man fresh out of the shower. nailed it. oh yeah. proof. febreze car vent clips keep your car fresh. another way febreze helps you breathe happy. you don't decide when vegetables reach the peak of perfection. the vegetables do. at green giant, we pick vegetables only when they're perfect. then freeze them fast
11:16 am
so they're are as nutritious as fresh. [ green giant ] ho ho ho. ♪ green giant [ green giant ] ho ho ho. i've always had to keep my eye on her... but, i didn't always watch out for myself. with so much noise about health care... i tuned it all out. with unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters... my individual health profile. not random statistics. they even reward me for addressing my health risks. so i'm doing fine... but she's still going to give me a heart attack. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.
11:17 am
begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye.
11:18 am
new jersey governor chris christie was called the boss. republican party, but people are wondering whether chris cristy is an out cast. he is receiving criticism for becoming the eighth republican governor to expand medicaid under the president's reform law. he emphasized it was based on
11:19 am
finances and not ideology. >> accepting these resources will provide health insurances to tens of thousands of new jersey people and save money for taxpayers. >> all of this after the governor did not get an invite to the c pack, the conference even though he was there last year. they wrote no cpac invite for chris christie because of limited future in the republican party. he made it hard at a time when they try to deal with fiscal restraint. he was disappointed and hoped that next year will give us a reason to invite him. joins united states notice, gentlemen, thank you for joining us. next year we hope you will give us a reason to invite him.
11:20 am
the actions by chris christie regarding the expansion of medicate is not a reason to be invioleted next year. >> the chairman said that cpac is like the all star game of politics and only people with an out standing year get invited. maybe in the future he will be. headlining is sarah palin. the most outstanding thing she did was get dropped from fox news. this is about purity and trying to punish a guy who dared break with the tea party and conservative wing for getting too cozy with obama. >> for may be about purity, but i want to play what fox new his to say about this back and forth. let's play it please. >> i wasn't happy with what he did in sandy. the three months is up and i let him out. i have him at cpac and if that's what it takes to win elections in the northeast and nationwide, let's go for it.
11:21 am
>> that sounds like there was a purity debate when you listened to charles there. . >> this is the key question after the drugging in november became more conservative or to expand. chris cristy is in the latter camp and the most popular republican governor in a blue state should be something they are embracing and holding up despite being a conservative guy. the cpac is going for the more pure smaller party approach. >> i want to play chris christie's greatest hits that have conservatives upset with him. >> there is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims. the house majority and their speaker, john boehner. they did so with callus indifference to the suffering of the people of my state. shame on you.
11:22 am
shame on congress. >> i cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for the people of our state. >> there you have it. republicans say he was speaking the proof. his approval is 75%. you believe republicans are shooting themselves in the foot. you are not sad because you are a democrat. he's the most popular republican governor in the country. it's not an accident. he is doing the things people want him to do and that are popular with the people in the state. that's what he was doing with the expansion. it reminds me of the police when i was running for governor. you had the divide and the people are not making the changes needed to win. there was a distrust. >> you believe chris christie is bill clintonesque? >> i believe the republican party coming up will have won
11:23 am
the popular vote once in 24 years by the time the election rolls around needs to have soul searching. chris christie is out there at least doing the things in some regard that defy orthodoxy. >> jonathan's point, when you look at "wall street journal" poll where democrats have an advantage over the republicans. when looking out for the middle class. they deal with medicare, 18 voint advantage. dealing with health care 16 points and 15 points for gun violence. social security 14 point advantage. energy 10-point and immigration 7. dealing with taxes three. dealing with the economy, 2. it would make sense looking at these numbers, you would have bigger voices in the republican party who say you want to close these gaps, chris cristy is our guy, not sarah palin. why do this to him? >> i think it could backfire in a way on cpac and help kristi.
11:24 am
he is possibly considering a run for the presidency and he is willing to do what it takes to help the people and they don't have him. >> people like to say it whether or not they like to put it in active work and remains to be seen. >> he is taking hits from his friends to do it. in a way this could help him in the long run. >> thank you. great pleasure and our new nbc news "wall street journal" poll shows the budget battles are taking a toll on you at home and everybody you know dragging down approval ratings in washington. even annoying the american public. nbc news senior political editor mark murray will join us with a
11:25 am
deeper look into the new polling on the sequester and what you really feel about it. max and penny kept our bookstore exciting and would always come to my rescue. but as time passed, i started to notice max just wasn't himself. and i knew he'd feel better if he lost a little weight. so i switched to purina cat chow healthy weight formula. i just fed the recommended amount... and they both loved the taste. after a few months max's "special powers" returned... and i got my hero back. purina cat chow healthy weight. mommy's having a french fry. yes she is, yes she is. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. 100% vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle.
11:26 am
11:27 am
accomplishing even little things can become major victories. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. when i was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, my rheumatologist prescribed enbrel for my pain and stiffness, and to help stop joint damage. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. you should not start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. since enbrel helped relieve my joint pain, it's the little things that mean the most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you.
11:28 am
[ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. the white house confirms president obama invited congressional leaders for a meeting on the sequester hours after the cuts are set to take effect. senate majority leader harry reid and mitch mcconnell at the meeting. it comes as the new "wall street journal" poll shows public patience wearing really thin as the fifth budget showdown in two years is about to come to a side. 51% said these clashes make them less confident. 16% said the negotiations make them more confident about the economy and after four months about the direction of the country, they have 59% say the
11:29 am
country is on the wrong track. just 32% say it's headed in the right direction. the polls show the president's campaign against the sequester is working. 52% call sequestration a bad idea. just 21% say it's a good idea. the american public doesn't like the idea of doing nothing either. 53% say they would like congress to move forward with a plan the same amount or more cuts. joining me live is congressman adam smith. the democrat on the house armed services committee. thank you so much for joining me. there was a laundry list of number there is and the bottom line is people are sick and tired of being sick and tired of what we are watching in washington. there is a meeting be, but after the sequester. >> i think they are right. we need to make a decision. we need a long-term plan to balance the budget. we don't have to balance the budget in ten years, but we have to get the deficit under control
11:30 am
and talk about the choices involved. we have to raise taxes and make reductions in mandatory spending. this is the deal that has been hanging out for two years. it is tough and there no easy answers women got elected to lead and we need to make the decision because the impact on the economy right now, we need it without sequestration. the impact is devastating and sequestering makes it worse. >> when you have 51% less confident at a time when there was a report this week home sales are up over 7%. people are feeling better and going out to look for jobs and here we are again with this man-made problem on facing this economy at this fragile time. >> we're need to stop lurching from crisis to crisis. i thought it was bad from the
11:31 am
beginning. it was only done because the republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling. the mandatory cuts that are damaging our economy when we can least afford it and shut off the sequester and move forward with funding the government appropriately and making the long-term decisions needed. >> doesn't look like we will shut it out. friday you have this meeting after the deadline. what needs to be the first thing you believe the president should put on the table? >> here's the two-steps. get the big deal on taxes and mandatory spending. if you can't get that, let's stop sequester and torturing the portion of the budget thinking that will force us to act on the bigger budget deal. obviously that is not working. let's get a deal on spending. i introduced a bill today that would get rid of sequester and lock in place further cuts in spending and over the course of the next ten years in a lot
11:32 am
less, about a third of what's done. get the portion fixed and let's start passing appropriations bills. let's stop lurching from crisis to crisis. if you can't get the big deal, that's unfortunate, but don't torture the economy while we are waiting. >> congressman, thank you so much for joining us. i appreciate it. we will see what happens as some movement is possible here. joining me now is senior editor mark murray. these numbers are so intriguing for many reasons. it shows the possibility that the president and republicans can take a hit and in current form the numbers show overwhelmingly people have a negative reaction to the republican party. >> this is a replay that we saw the debt ceiling debate in 2011 and he was talking about divicive negotiations. it doesn't make anyone look good. if you are looking to improve
11:33 am
your approval ratings, you will be disappointed. we have seen president obama's numbers tick downward and they are within the margin of error. the republican party e mains unpopular. >> the approval remains high. potential for all sides to take a dip. you talk about the facts and fictions out there. the president does not have a proposal. the same deal is on the table that was there before. you have a report that the gop may actually push everything to the republicans and let him decide the cuts. they take their hands off and say you decide the cuts. >> that seems to be one of the directions where there was movement. i'm not sure it's going to go anywhere. there was a deep suspicion about giving the power that congress had over taxes and spending and
11:34 am
whether there is repercussions and republican projects for example are on the chopping block instead of democratic ones. that's a fear you are going to see. we have seen the president put out a compromise. not seen as a perfect compromise, but all we heard from republicans is the plan that they only passed through the house as of last year, but they have yet to put out the realization that the president controls the white house and control the senate. >> people say this is so urgent. why is the meeting happening friday? >> this has to be for all appearances in a way. friday is the day these cuts go into effect. most people realize that we are going-over the deadline and the date to circle on your calendar is march 27th when the government runs out of money. that will be the where you see a
11:35 am
deal if it happens on that day. >> mark murray, appreciate it. >> a democratic super pac has been pounding mitch mcconnell for months. the group is coming under fire for targeting mcconnell's wife. first, there is a lot going on today. here are things we thought you should know. chuck hagel was sworn in, becoming the 24th secretary of defense and talking about the challenges ahead including cuts to the budget, saying we need to deal with this reality. in chicago, former state representative robin kelly won the special election to replace jesse jackson junior. kelly won 52-25%. she was helped by millions in ads by michael bloomberg's super pac. moments ago, they talked about the victory after meeting with vice president joe biden at the white house. >> the voters of this district
11:36 am
understand that they and their at risk with guns on the stre s streets. >> in a new poll they were discussing and it shows that 61% of gunws should be stricter. those are thes we thought you should know. who do you think i am, quicken loans? ♪ at quicken loans, we won't make you waitor it. our effici online stem allows us to get you t cessast. which means you'll never have to beg for a quick closing. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. bonkers, look at me when i'm talking to you.
11:37 am
11:38 am
11:39 am
. despite the warnings, no action on the sequester. the chief political columnist writes bring it on. politicians lost their power to frighten him and asks, do you know what does not get cut? the salaries of senators and representatives. why did anybody expect congress to repel by the sequester. the sequester was passed in the last sefgz congress and the amendment prohibits the
11:40 am
decreases now until the next. roger simon joins us now. how convenient. you have salaries that lawmakers are not impacted. they have the option to donate their six-figure salaries to charity. i will let you say that. that's your commentary. nevertheless here we are again in this alternate universe with real life and what goes on yo your town. >>y is quest was not bad. congress would be so horrified by doing something horrifying and irresponsible that it wouldn't do it. they wouldn't have their salary cut by 20%. >> their staffers would be affected. >> the low man on the tote um poll. >> absolutely.
11:41 am
>> the children are not in head start. congress is going to be just fine. the reelection rate is above 90%. those who lose their jobs in 2014. they will be lobbyists and do just fine. when americans had it right. they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. they are also just trained by being scared all of the time. first we had the fiscal cliff and now sequester. as i few seconds ago they said on march 27th, the government runs out of money. people are drained by this. they just want government to work and it's not working. >> it's funny, you talk about it, mark. the calendar march 27th, the
11:42 am
phones have the alert when you have the event coming up. if we line them up that we had to lurch, your phone would be buzzing. a red alert every morning that we are facing something new and different. i know particularly the republicans like to say during budget debates, people at home have to balance the budgets. people at home if you are reasonable and responsible and certainly if you are a parent, you are not going from crisis to crisis. that can be avoided here. this results in instability in our economy. that's what we are seeing in our "wall street journal" poll. now people become afraid and doubt the recovery and what do you do? hold on to your money and worried about doing anything. fear of what these men and women in washington, d.c. will do or not. >> sure. >> paralysis leads to paralysis in the rest of the country.
11:43 am
the worst result for rem krats would is that ke quester is the new normal. that's not a crisis. we experience it monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday. we just get used to it. what that doesn't take into account is if you are a 3 to 5-year-old child, no longer get medical care and a free breakfast or a start on early childhood education. that's not what congress cares about. >> quickly here with the members of congress to donate their salary. there should be a challenge issued give up to head start or
11:44 am
a program for learning. >> the salvation army should set up outside of congress and ring their bells and have the cameras pointed to every congress person as they leave the chamber and show how much they put in that pot. i don't think they are going to leave very much. >> roger simon, it's great to talk with you and see you soon. coming up next on "news nation" -- >> i ask each of to you pray for me. >> asking for prayers on his final appearance as leader of the catholic church. his final days have been overshadowed by scandal. we will have the latest. the new reaction from cardinal roger mahoney of los angeles who is at the vatican to select the new pope despite calls to recuse himself. at optionsxpress we're all about options trading.
11:45 am
we create easy-to-use, powerful trading tools for all. look at these streaming charts! they're totally customizable and they let you visualize what might happen next.
11:46 am
that's genius! we knew you needed a platform that could really help you elevate your trading. so we built it. chances of making this? it's a lot easier to find out if a trade is potentially profitable. just use our trade & probability calculator and there it is. for all the reasons you trade options - from income to risk management to diversification - you'll have the tools to get it done. strategies. chains. positions. we put 'em all on one screen! could we make placing a trade any easier? mmmm...could we? around here, options are everything. yes mom, i'll place a long call to you tomorrow. i promise. open an account today and get a free 13-month eibd™ subscription when you call 1-888-280-0159 now. optionsxpress by charles schwab. you know, from our 4,000 television commercials. yep, there i am with flo. hoo-hoo! watch it!
11:47 am
[chuckles] anyhoo, 3 million people switched to me last year, saving an average of $475. [sigh] it feels good to help people save... with great discounts like safe driver, multicar, and multipolicy. so call me today. you'll be glad you did. cannonbox! [splash!] i've got something for you too. (announcer) fancy feast delights with cheddar. a meal that is sure to delight your cheese lover. fancy feast. the best ingredient is love. . in 24 hours, the pope will
11:48 am
st step down. 150,000 people jammed st. peter's square to witness the poptive saying farewell. he spoke about years as pope and went off script. he said some see the church in decline and he sees the church as alive. the embattled cardinal and arch bishop of los angeles was stripped of public duties after he shielded priests suspected of sex abuse. he was allowed to take part and refused to answer critic who is wondered if he should be allowed to pick the next pope. >> god bless you. >> set the stage for the feel of those people who were 150,000 or more, many weeping. he described how it felt to be there today.
11:49 am
>> it was a huge celebration, tamron. 150,000 people on a normal and a normal wednesday gathering in and around st. peter's square to bid farewell to the first pope in 600 years deciding to step down. there were flags waiting and a big chance. those chances have not stopped. i keep hearing them now in the distance. there is still a big crowd late in the evening in the square, chanting viva el papa and benedict, benedict. we will zoom in where you can see those with the lights on our apartments of the pope. those lights are on, meaning that the pope is still awake and probably is still packing up. we were told that probably he will take away with him only a number of documents that we would like to have with him when he finally retires in the
11:50 am
convent. today is one historic event after the other. this morning the last general that gave the chance to people to see the pope for the one last time here in the vatican and now the pope leaving the apartments. that's also unheard of in the last 600 years. popes left their apartment only after they died. >> the pope has his final tweet today. it said if only everyone could experience the joy of being christian and being loved by god who gave his son for us all. that twitter account will go silent until the next pope. >> yes, it will be indeed. the pope did have a long address today. he said he had many moments of joy, but he had choppy waters.
11:51 am
they were meant to be references to the scandal that marred the catholic church. the twitter account is going off line until the new pope goes in. the new pope will have to be aware and ahead of his times and start being more social in terms of technologically speaking and being able to communicate with the world through all means including twitter and facebook of course. >> thank you so much, claudio for your latest live report. we appreciate your time. our "news nation" gut check about chris christie. some republicans say he's not the future of their party, is his brand better than the gop? we will show you the numbers and be sure to like the "news nation" on facebook. we are at facebook.com/"news nation" and gut check is up in three minutes. [ female announcer ] what does the anti-aging power of olay total effects plus the perfecting color of a bb cream equal?
11:52 am
introducing the newest beauty trend. total effects cc cream c for color. c for correction. [ female announcer ] fight 7 signs of aging flawlessly. cc what's possible. it fills you with energy... and it gives you what you are looking for to live a more natural life. in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley. nature at its most delicious. this is nature valley. for tapping into a wealth of experience.
11:53 am
for access to one of the top wealth management firms in the country. for a team of financial professionals who provide customized solutions. for all of your wealth management and retirement goals, discover how pnc wealth management can help you achieve. visit pnc.com/wealthsolutions to find out more.
11:54 am
11:55 am
. >> join the "news nation." twitter page at "news nation." a liberal super pac in ken tucky is apologizing to the labor secretary. two weeks ago, this group tweeted out the following message. it said this woman has the ear of mitch mcconnell. she's his wife. it may explain why your job moved to choina. they claimed that chow who was born in taiwan has a history of racism against american workers. kelly o'donnell joins me now. this is bad for so many reasons. they have taken down this tweet and apologized. >> we have. there not many rules, but this seemed to violate several of them and going after candidates's wife or family
11:56 am
member is always on the list. it's not the office here and they did react and said that the chow family represents what is the american dream. they were very offended. they said it is unconscionable that they would use it for cheep political gain. this is shining a light on an important political race. powerful here up necessary reelection in 2014. his wife is say figure unto herself as a former labor secretary and widely regarded by people in both parties. to have her targeted as another level of discomfort then. one of the people talked abouts a rival as the actress ashley judd. she wanted to decry this and say it's not the tone of invoking race or being lick this. you have race that everyone said shouldn't be a part of politics
11:57 am
and somehow gets in there. a prominent man's wife who is a significant figure herself. that will get people angry. >> so touch. today's "news nation" gut check. governor chris christie and his role within the republican party. he is the most popular republican in the count row and despite that not invited to next month's cpac. according to the poll, no politician has more cross over appeal. here's the numbers. the favorability is 36%. 39% and among democrats he earns 36% there that. same poll shows republican brand is in bad shape. 46% have a negative view of the party, just 29% view it positively. what does your gut tell you? who has a better brand?
11:58 am
chris christie or the gop? that does it for this edition. the cycle is up next. i'm maria, and i have diabetic nerve pain. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it was like pins and needles sticking in your toes and in your feet. it progressed from there to burning like i was walking on hot coals. at that point, i knew i had to do something. when i went to see my doctor, she chose lyrica. once i started taking the lyrica, the pain started subsiding. [ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eye sight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery
11:59 am
until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having less pain... it's a wonderful feeling. [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more patient stories, visit lyrica.com. woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen.